We’re all lab rats for companies

A toxic stew of chemicals is brewing in our air, water and homes, yet their long-term effects are largely unknown, making us all guinea pigs and unknown participants in a “grand unnatural experiment,” say Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner in Tom Dispatch.

6 Responses

I am so paranoid about the effects of the air quality in buildings. Every year the same viruses are circulated and recirculated and every year the symptoms get worse and develop into pneumonia or bronchitis.

Of course by the time we die from this, there will be no way to make the companies pay for making us work in these conditions.

The strange thing is that all these additives, pesticides, and antibiotics that are pumped into our food, are all products designed not to feed us, but to make the bottom line of the food providers increase. Longer shelf life, less loss to insects, growth enhancement, flavor appeal (and for some things we should hardly be shoving into our mouths as being food), are all designed to line the pockets of those who get us to eat their crap. There is no consideration for the long term health risks posed by these products on the Human body, with the latest, a herbicide linked to a spike in Parkinson’s Disease and several types of cancer, being used by many to spot weed their vegetable gardens. It is no surprise that the corporate Right always comes down on the government agencies that are charged with protecting our health, by limiting their actions, defunding their agencies, and calling what they are barely being allowed to do, as an assault on their freedom. It may just be a coincidence that neurological diseases are on the rise, the more we plasticize our food supply and drinking water, But I don’t believe it for a second.

“Agreed” to all. Magpies, don’t forget GMOs and nanotech. Ann, I know what you mean. The viruses in my workplace are pretty, well, virulent. The trouble is that they put us old-timers in with the young people who bring in their kid’s day care diseases. Practically everything we do can be done via telecommute but, do you think that is an option? No, of course not. Someone in management should wise up as to how much money they are losing in employee sick time. (Either that, or someone there owns big-time stock in Exxon Mobil). IKTIM, yes, agreed. What used to be wildflowers are now “weeds” that you must zap with Roundup, to create the concrete deserts that are so appealing to the uniformist, fascist mind that can’t tolerate the artistic diversity of the natural world.

What the makers of products like Roundup don’t want generally known is that spot weeding, especially between the cracks on sidewalks, can be accomplished cheaply and in an entirely eco-friendly manner. All one has to do is wait until it hasn’t rained in a few days, making the undesired weeds thirsty, and then watering them with household ammonia (95% water, 5% ammonia) that the plants will drink up and be killed at the root. The ammonia will break down quickly in to substances that are safe enough that they can be consumed in minutes.